The Thread to Ruminate About Mike Love's Rape Van

[WestwayKid]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

[Flex]

Great point. It should also be said that Mike's version puts on a good show. It's super enjoyable. Heck, they played the Milwaukee County Sports Complex a few years back, which is just down the road from my office - it was just a stage set up in a field with bleacher seating trucked in.

Yeah, Mike's got a slick band these days. Nothing will beat the 50th - how could it - but The Mike Love Boys put on a perfectly cromulent show. You have to put up with Be True To Your School but he actually mixes in a few deep cuts to go along with the greatest hits so it's less venal than one would assume.

Brian solo used to be the better bet "artistically" but this summer's set wasn't very imaginative and, as I reviewed here, Brian himself is almost a total non-entity now. The better bet musically is probably with Mike & Bruce these days.

[WestwayKid]

Great point. It should also be said that Mike's version puts on a good show. It's super enjoyable. Heck, they played the Milwaukee County Sports Complex a few years back, which is just down the road from my office - it was just a stage set up in a field with bleacher seating trucked in.

Yeah, Mike's got a slick band these days. Nothing will beat the 50th - how could it - but The Mike Love Boys put on a perfectly cromulent show. You have to put up with Be True To Your School but he actually mixes in a few deep cuts to go along with the greatest hits so it's less venal than one would assume.

Brian solo used to be the better bet "artistically" but this summer's set wasn't very imaginative and, as I reviewed here, Brian himself is almost a total non-entity now. The better bet musically is probably with Mike & Bruce these days.

Mike's been playing a surfed up version of Rockaway Beach on his 2022 tour!

[Sparky]

Great point. It should also be said that Mike's version puts on a good show. It's super enjoyable. Heck, they played the Milwaukee County Sports Complex a few years back, which is just down the road from my office - it was just a stage set up in a field with bleacher seating trucked in.

Yeah, Mike's got a slick band these days. Nothing will beat the 50th - how could it - but The Mike Love Boys put on a perfectly cromulent show. You have to put up with Be True To Your School but he actually mixes in a few deep cuts to go along with the greatest hits so it's less venal than one would assume.

Brian solo used to be the better bet "artistically" but this summer's set wasn't very imaginative and, as I reviewed here, Brian himself is almost a total non-entity now. The better bet musically is probably with Mike & Bruce these days.

Mike's been playing a surfed up version of Rockaway Beach on his 2022 tour!

Ok, now you've gone and piqued my interest, so Google gave me this version of it:

Can't embed it, but if you click on the "watch on youtube" you should be able to see it.

[matedog]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

I made it four songs in. It's a reminder that Carl isn't as cool as I periodically think he is.

[Wolter]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

I made it four songs in. It's a reminder that Carl isn't as cool as I periodically think he is.

I love Carl’s voice and he had a lot of musical skill, but like most of The Beach Boys, his taste and song decisions are…not always very good.

[WestwayKid]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

I made it four songs in. It's a reminder that Carl isn't as cool as I periodically think he is.

I love Carl’s voice and he had a lot of musical skill, but like most of The Beach Boys, his taste and song decisions are…not always very good.

Pairing with Randy Bachman...

[WestwayKid]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

I made it four songs in. It's a reminder that Carl isn't as cool as I periodically think he is.

He was the least cool Wilson. When Mike introduces the band on the Concert LP, Brian and Dennis far and away get the most female applause/adulation. Mike, Carl, and Al not so much.

[WestwayKid]

I'm going to attempt to listen to Keepin' the Summer Alive right now...

yeah, sometimes my brain stops working right too

I got as far as Oh Darlin'.

I made it four songs in. It's a reminder that Carl isn't as cool as I periodically think he is.

Livin' with a Heartache is simply awful.

[matedog]

Carl is an interesting case. He has so many classic leads and then after years of smoking (that would eventually kill him) develops this powerfully soulful voice by the early 80a that really pops relative to the rest of the band. He sounds amazing in that decade when he’s belting. Unfortunately, he does a lot of cooing as well. It doesn’t sound bad, but it also doesn’t sound good, especially when paired with super 80s keyboards.

[Inder]

Great point. It should also be said that Mike's version puts on a good show. It's super enjoyable. Heck, they played the Milwaukee County Sports Complex a few years back, which is just down the road from my office - it was just a stage set up in a field with bleacher seating trucked in.

Yeah, Mike's got a slick band these days. Nothing will beat the 50th - how could it - but The Mike Love Boys put on a perfectly cromulent show. You have to put up with Be True To Your School but he actually mixes in a few deep cuts to go along with the greatest hits so it's less venal than one would assume.

Brian solo used to be the better bet "artistically" but this summer's set wasn't very imaginative and, as I reviewed here, Brian himself is almost a total non-entity now. The better bet musically is probably with Mike & Bruce these days.

Mike's been playing a surfed up version of Rockaway Beach on his 2022 tour!

Ok, now you've gone and piqued my interest, so Google gave me this version of it:

Can't embed it, but if you click on the "watch on youtube" you should be able to see it.

Oh god, this took me to

[Dr. Medulla]

Deep down, Mike wants to be a muzak performer. Just strip away anything that's "weird" and leave the core of what he thinks people want—inoffensive sounds that don't angry up the chi.

[Wolter]

Deep down, Mike wants to be a muzak performer. Just strip away anything that's "weird" and leave the core of what he thinks people want—inoffensive sounds that don't angry up the chi.

I think it’s also a Gene Simmons case of he’s a businessman first and foremost. He’s looking for sales, and he decided almost 50 years ago that the way to sales is anodyne feel good songs that he’s frankly too out of touch to make well, and has been for almost the same amount of time. He accidentally struck gold one last time during the nostalgic and retrograde late 80s (one of the many nadir points in mainstream popular music) and that’s that.

[Wolter]

It’s very depressing to realize that in the very early days of The Beach Boys, Mike was the one who went to the more integrated high school and was the one who actually listened to R&B when most of the other ones were either folkies like Al or into toothless but technically skilled harmony groups like the Four Freshmen. He was arguably the coolest one for a few months!

[Dr. Medulla]

It’s very depressing to realize that in the very early days of The Beach Boys, Mike was the one who went to the more integrated high school and was the one who actually listened to R&B when most of the other ones were either folkies like Al or into toothless but technically skilled harmony groups like the Four Freshmen. He was arguably the coolest one for a few months!

So's a Strummerian nun fucker?

(If Strummerian catches on, I want my cut!)